Thirteen Strategies for Sustainability

"Strategy 3: Develop corridors of activity along transit routes

Until recently, transit has proven a hard sell in Greater Kansas City, which prides itself as being among America's least congested cities. But alleviating traffic congestion is not the only, nor is it necessarily the primary, rationale for investments in public transit. Effective public transit enables choice in how we travel. To create a robust regional transit system, we need to recognize the many ways that transit supports other community goals, such as stimulating economic development, managing growth and ensuring community livability.

Living in a sprawled-out city also means spending an inordinate amount of your family's money on transportation. A recent study by the Brookings Institution showed that, even before the recent spike in gasoline prices, the median household in Kansas City spends more each year on transportation than on housing. We also spend an inordinate amount of our day behind the wheel, wasting time that could be used for relaxation, reading, recreation or visiting with friends and family."